A drawback that inhibits wide adoption of robotics in the classroom is the lack of hardware adaptable to a wide range of curriculum, which is still physically manageable in a typical classroom setting.
Construction kits that disassemble into hundreds of small components are not practical for teaching a classroom of students, relegating robotics to small, after-school groups. Although educational toys are becoming more popular, they offer limited programmability and are bounded by their lack of hardware customizability.
Also, a drawback to current encoding methods and apparatus used in robot and automation applications is the necessity of multiple, dedicated, printed circuit boards to encode each motor in the robot.
Provision of encoding for motors is inhibited primarily by cost: Such equipment is expensive, typically needing significant physical space in the system and customized printed circuit boards for each motor in the robot.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,605,914 to Yim et al., titled “ROBOTIC TOY MODULAR SYSTEM” shows a modular robot which assembles together with other modules. Modules sense the attachment location of other modules, defining the configuration of the assembly of robots. Several accessories are also described. This robot is made up of a single degree of freedom driven by a servo motor. Servo's typically do not rotate continuously, and those which have been modified to rotate continuously lose the angular sensing capabilities. A single module of this design is not independently mobile, meaning multiple modules must be assembled together in order for the robot to be mobile or achieve basic functionality.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,013,750 to Kazami et al., titled “UNIT SET FOR ROBOT” shows a unit for constructing a robot with a specific surface profile for the housing having fixed and rotating joints with several accessories described. This modular robot design has two degrees of freedom with axis of rotation which are perpendicular and intersect. There is a limitation to the configurations possible with only this configuration. A single module of this design is not independently mobile, meaning multiple modules must be assembled together in order for the robot to be mobile or achieve basic functionality. Although there are some features on the body for improving stability when attached to another module it's not possible to attach accessories to the body itself, limiting functionality.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,175,747 to Lee et al., titled “JOINABLE ROBOT COMPONENT FOR ROBOT TOY, MODIFIABLE ROBOT TOY USING THE JOINABLE ROBOT COMPONENTS, AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF” shows a toy which can be assembled with accessories to form various configurations. A single module of this design is not independently mobile, meaning multiple modules must be assembled together in order for the robot to be mobile or achieve basic functionality.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,084,373 to Goldenberg et al., titled “RECONFIGURABLE MODULAR JOINT AND ROBOTS PRODUCED THEREFROM”, discloses a reconfigurable modular drive joint which can be set up in a roll, pitch, or yaw configuration. A single module of this design is not independently mobile, meaning multiple modules must be assembled together in order for the robot to be mobile or achieve basic functionality.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,747,352 to Raffle et al., titled “PHYSICAL MODELING SYSTEM FOR CONSTRUCTING AND CONTROLLING ARTICULATED FORMS WITH MOTORIZED JOINTS”, discloses a single degree of freedom modular robot and accessories that allow it to be assembled into various configurations. A single module of this design is not independently mobile, meaning multiple modules must be assembled together in order for the robot to be mobile or achieve basic functionality.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,323,615 to Khairallah et al., titled “MODULAR ARTICULATED ROBOT STRUCTURE”, discloses a modular articulated robot structure. Each module has a single degree of freedom with limited rotation, not allowing for continuous rotation of each joint when modules are assembled. Having module with a single degree of freedom which cannot rotate continuously limits the robot to arm applications and overall mobility to crawling/walking locomotion. In order for the robot to drive as though with wheels for any significant distance it would need a continually rotating degree of freedom. A single module of this design is not independently mobile, meaning multiple modules must be assembled together in order for the robot to be mobile or achieve basic functionality.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,686,717 to Khairallah et al., titled “MODULAR ARTICULATED STRUCTURE”, discloses additional details regarding a modular articulated robot structure. A riding disc is described for a configuration of this robot, adding a second degree of freedom in the form of a wheel shaped attachment to the end of a module. This configuration is specifically meant for driving with a wheel, but not specifically for attaching to other modules or accessories, limiting functionality. A single module of this design is not independently mobile, meaning multiple modules must be assembled together in order for the robot to be mobile or achieve basic functionality.
Publication No. EP2531327 to Ryland et al., titled “FOUR DEGREE OF FREEDOM (4-DOF) SINGLE MODULE ROBOT UNIT OR JOINT”, discloses a modular robot which is made up of a center section, two outer sections and two faceplates where the outer sections rotate 180 degrees in reference to the center section and the faceplates rotate continuously in reference to the outer section.